Polaris

Cruise

V!VA User‘s Description

Traveling aboard the 80-passenger Polaris is a total experience in expeditionary cruising. The ship is large enough to operate comfortably in remote environments like the Galápagos, yet small enough to enter ports and narrow inlets inaccessible to bigger ships.

Cabins are equipped with lower berths, private facilities, and air-conditioning. Spacious social areas include: a sunny observation lounge with bar, piano, and facilities for films, slide shows and lectures, a library with an exceptional collection of books, a covered deck with chairs and tables, and a dining room with wrap-around views of the sea. There are also a number of luxurious perks: an open bridge with satellite communication equipment, a souvenir shop, a gym with sauna, a hospital with doctor onboard, and a glass-bottom boat.

Traveler Reviews of Polaris

Polaris, with Lindblad in the Galapagos

Rating: 100%

Polaris, with Lindblad in the Galapagos May 13 - 20, 2006 Exploring the Galapagos is a unique experience which cannot be duplicated anywhere else in the world. We chose Lindblad over several other tour operators because of their reputation for making the most of this type of adventure -- and we were not disappointed. The staff, crew and naturalists aboard the Polaris are outstanding -- totally devoted to showing, explaining and teaching you the wonders of the Galapagos creatures and environment, while at the same time working to preserve it. To wander among wild birds and animals that not only have no fear of you but seem to be as curious about you as you are of them -- is a wonder. Our trip started off badly. The designated flight is American Airlines # 933 on 5/12/06 out of Miami to Quayaquil. First the captain waited for passengers whose luggage was aboard but they were not (2 hour delay), then there was a malfunction which took another hour and a half to clear up. During this entire time in a hot plane on the ground, no courtesy was offered to the passengers except lukewarm water out of a plastic gallon milk bottle -- you could not even buy a drink (Yes - they can serve drinks legally - they did so in first class). I’ve flown since 1948 -- probably over a million miles -- and I can honestly say I never saw such a surly, unfriendly, and inhospitable cabin crew as that one. To be fair, on the way back, also by AA, we had a much friendlier group. Lindblad takes good care of you. Arriving in Quayaquil at night you are whisked off to the Hilton Colon - a five star hotel, handed your room key, given vouchers for drinks and breakfast, and made welcome. In the morning a domestic flight takes you to Baltra in the Galapagos, then a short bus ride to a pier where there are sea lions lounging on the benches meant for passengers (you stand -- they were there first!), and then your first experience in a rubber inflatable boat called a Zodiak out to the ship. Get used to the Zodiak -- it’s your only means of getting around -- the Polaris never docks during the entire week. The Polaris started life as a ferry from Denmark to Sweden and was converted to an expedition ship for Linblad. It has well outlived its useful life and is due to be replaced in about 18 months. If noise bothers you while trying to sleep, take ear plugs -- there does not seem to be any insulation from the engine noise. When talking to reservations we were given a choice between a larger or quieter cabin, chose the ‘quiet’ one toward the front of the ship (203) and yet my bed vibrated and the noise was very bothersome for me when the ship was underway at night. This is not a fancy cruise ship -- the cabins are sparse with beds, a desk, a chair, and closets for your clothes -- and a squawk box for all announcements and to wake you up in the morning. The small bathroom has a shower and is adequate. There is air conditioning of a sort -- the fellow in the engine room decides what the air temperature should be and supposedly the ‘thermostat’ in the cabin will allow you to control how much of that air you let in -- but in ours it didn’t work . There is a wall fan we used a couple of times. The ambience wasn’t improved by the molding half hanging down or the rust on the door frame. But it’s OK, you really don’t spend much time in the cabin, and overall the ship is pleasant, clean, and the lounge and library are equipped with comfortable furniture. Your cabin is made up twice a day. There is open seating in the dinning room so you get to meet a lot of really nice folks. This type of cruise attracts intelligent, educated people interested in nature and the environment and having an understanding of how natural selection and evolution works. If your’ belief is Creationist -- this trip is not for you. Our 71 passenger group was mostly late middle age to seniors with no children aboard, although I understand that at certain times Linblad has such cruises targeted for families. Our week was designated as a photo excursion, and two professional photographers were brought along. The food was excellent and served attractively, with breakfast and lunches buffet style, and dinner a choice of a meat dish, fish, or veggie. The buffets were always wonderful with all sorts of interesting Ecuadorian specialties to try. My wife thought the fish dishes outstanding, while I was a little less enthusiastic about the meats. Neither of us tried the Vegie dishes although people at our table seemed pleased with them. But nobody comes on this trip for the ship, the cabin, or the food. They come for the real adventure that is the Galapagos. The entire island chain and the sea that surrounds them is an Ecuadorian National Park with rigidly enforced rules designed to preserve and protect what is there for future generations to see. Our Zodiacs took us to eight islands, always under the guidance of one or more of the five park trained naturalist guides aboard the Polaris. These folks have an encyclopedic knowledge of the terrain, the vegetation, and of course the reptiles, birds, and animals. They manage to pass on their knowledge not by rote, but entertainingly, so that every outing becomes more fascinating than the last. Each day there are a number of excursion options, some more rugged than others, but always something for everyone. There is swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, a glass bottomed boat, and even a ‘spa’ boat with a glass window in the bottom so you can have a massage while watching for exotic fish or green turtles swimming by underneath. The ship has all the equipment that you might need, supplied to you free. As mentioned, this was a photo trip and that is why we chose this particular date. About half of the passengers indicated they were there for that reason, and to take advantage of the better light photo groups generally went out first in morning and last in the evening. For the first two days we went out with the photo groups but found it difficult with everyone trying for the best spot and no discipline maintained. The professionals are not in charge as in Linblad’s other photo excursions (the naturalists are), and other than throwing out an occasional comment such as “this is good place to use polarizers”, seemed interested mostly in getting pictures for their own portfolio. Once we changed to the nature groups, we were able to get more and better images, and we found that about a half dozen other photographers had already made the same switch for similar reasons. However both professionals were in the lounge every evening, working or their pictures, but ready to help anyone with questions or seeking comment. One wonders if a better choice would not have been hiring teachers from a photo school, rather than engaging stock photographers, for this type of a trip. Lindblad is a first class operation -- from the time their representative meets you in the Miami Airport till they transport your baggage for you to the Quayaquil airport on the way home. While they may not feature the most modern facilities, this is overridden by the planning, training, and enthusiasm of their staff and their interest in you. You’ll not regret this trip.

By V!VA User from Florida, Jul 11, 2006

Experience with kids

Rating: 100%

The first reviewer did such a good job of describing touring the Galapagos on the Polaris that I will just try to give some additional information rather than repeating what has been said already. Mainly, I would like to add information about children on the Polaris. But before I discuss the topic of children on the Polaris, one point I would like to emphasize: although the Polaris is categorized on this website as "luxury", and its high tour price would definitely put it in this class, someone looking for a "luxurious" cruise might be disappointed, even though everyone in my traveling group was extremely satisfied and felt that the trip was worth every penny. The Celebrity Xpedition, although categorized in the "superior" class and described as a "mid-sized" ship on this website, is 1.5 times larger than the Polaris for only slightly more passengers, and appears (from the Celebrity website ) to have much more lavish accommodations. However, it seems to cater to a somewhat different kind of guest and there is evidence that it is a less "eco-friendly" company and ship. The Polaris is not for people who want to be pampered, but rather for those who prefer an emphasis on the educational experience. The naturalists were all superb---some had PhDs in biology; some were born and raised in the Galapagos; they were all incredibly enthusiastic and articulate; and although all the ones on my trip were Ecuadorian, they all spoke excellent English. The expedition leader scheduled around serendipitous experiences so that we could spend an hour with orcas just a few feet from our zodiac or have the ship travel in circles for awhile to stay in the middle of a huge pod of dolphins even if that made lunch late. People who like to watch a lot of tv or movies would not like the Polaris. No tvs in the cabins (unlike the Celebrity) and the films shown in the lounge were all educational: one was on the life cycle of the marine iguana, one was on the famous research on finch evolution by the Grants. There was a fascinating forum on sustainability in the fishing industry. One very nice feature that we particularly appreciated was that Lindblad ships all have a professional videographer to film, edit, and produce a custom video of YOUR trip. It is so amazing to be able to take home a professional quality DVD that looks for all the world like a special promotional travel agency video, but that has my own family members and other guests that we remember on the trip right in the shots, and the scenes are exactly what we experienced because the videographer was right there with us. The main way that my experience differed from the other reviewer's is that we went around New Years when many children are on winter break from school, so there were a surprising number of children on the trip, probably about a dozen ranging in age from about 4 years old to late teens. I would guess that other times of year that there might children on board are during the spring break period in March and April and the summer. I think all the kids except my two were members of one of the two three-generation extended family groups of 9 or more people. Those groups also had the oldest members of the trip---one of the grandparent couples seemed to be in their late 80's or early 90's, and their group also had one of the few young adults: a grandson in his late 20's. Most of the passengers were in the 40-70 range. Lindblad sent my kids coloring/activity books about the Galapagos before the trip. Lindblad did not supply "babysitting" per se (something that some people seem to expect on "luxury cruises"), although every day after lunch and before the afternoon excursion the kids were invited to the library where a staff member would provide activities and journal-writing help, and one afternoon they showed a made-for-children nature program on the big-screen tv. Clearly, Lindblad expects intelligent children whose parents made sure they were prepared for the trip by learning about the wildlife in advance and are used to going to places like museums. Lunch and dinner always had a "child option" (like hamburger or macaroni and cheese), but the servers didn't blink when my children chose the regular adult fish choice. The Polaris had child-sized flotation vests (required for twice daily rides in the zodiac), as well as child-sized snorkeling equipment and wetsuits. There was even a special child-only zodiac driving lesson. To get an idea of the kind of experiences people have on Polaris Galagapos trips, you can check out the "Daily Expedition Reports" on the Lindblad website. Select the ship "Polaris" and then select any date to see a summary of what happened on that particular day's trip. The Polaris does only Galapagos trips continually throughout the year. For the right people (adults or children) the Polaris provides an unparalleled experience.

By V!VA User from Chicago northshore suburb, Feb 07, 2007